Gelatin explosive.



JULES mum; on ARG NTEUIL, runes, ASSIGNOR r mnonsn mam: vnnen. or

vmcmmns, rmncn. i

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jonas MAIBE, a citizen of the Republic of France, residin at] Arenteuil, 1n the Department of eine-etise, France,.have invented a new and useful Gelatin Explosive, of which the followin is'a specification. q

n my priorQPatent No.-1,124,496, dated Jan. 12, 1915, there is described the manufacture of anew grou The present invention has referenceto this I same group of nitro compounds, but is specifi- I plosive, an oxidizingsalt"'inpowdered form V the -wh1 ch are obtained by the nitration of initial vmixtures of mononitro-toluenes containing 1 essentially from to 85 percent. of meta-- .zg

'cally' directed to the production of a new glelatin explosive which. isobtained thereom. As a complete description of these liquid nitroetoluenes I is contained in the above-identified application, it is considered suflicient for present purposes to state that are of two classes or kinds, both of mononitro-toluene, the first class being com- "posed by liquid compounds which are exactly binitrated, while the second class is comprised 'by supernitrated liquid compounds. liquld compounds of-thefirst .class may be obtained, for e'xample,by mixing with the usual nitrating mixtures-of sulfuric-and nitric acids, mixtures of mononitro' toluene's of the characterjust stated,

and those. of the'second class may be ob- I 'tained, for example, by dissolving one of the liquid binitrotolu'enes of the said first classv in 7a definite quantityiq'iof solid trinitrotoluene.

In carrying out the invention, that is to say, in producing the improved gelatin exis incorporated with gelatin: obtained by dissolving cqllodion cotton in one of the above,

a named rri'tro-toluenes,-the latter being used either alone or mixed with nitroglycerin.

Chlorates, perchlorates nitrates, or mixtures thereof,'may be utilized as. the oxidizing salts, with the obvious exception, however,

of a mixture of chlorates with perchlorate of ammonia, the danger of which is well known.

For the nitro-toluenes, I make use of one of those contained in the second class above of li uid nitro-. toluenes, together with -t e relation thereof to explosives generally.

, GELATIN EXPLOSIVE.

specification of Letters Patent. t nt 1 5,

Application filed July 22, 1913. Serial No. 780,479.

referred to, in preference to those of the first class, ow ng to the greater percentage of nitrogenln the'latter, and among those contal'ned'ln the aforesaid second class I especlally prefer the ones which have the lowest point of fusion, in order to obtain a gelatin which will freeze only with the greatest possible difiiculty. The most suitable compound which I have found for the purpose.

stated is that produced by dissolving'20-25 er cent. of solid-trinitrotoluene in liquid initrotoluene obtained by nitration of a mixture of about 60 parts of meta-mononitrotoluene and 40 parts of ortho-mononitrotoluene, the resultant liquid compound containing approximately 16 per cent. of

nitrogen and freezing at about 26 (3..

Owing to the character of the liquid nitrotoluenes which I employ, the gelatin explosives obtained by means thereof will have the characteristic property of retaining their plasticity and stability :tor an indefinite period, during storage, at temperatures varying from 30 C. to +40 C; or even +50 C. or, in other words, to the highest temperatures to which they are exposed under actual working conditions in mines.

'Moreover, they are but very slightly sensitive to mechanical action, while, on the other hand, their power approaches that of the high explosives used in blasting. to obtain explosives of even higher power which are comparable, if not superior, to'the If it is desired the one obtained by dissolving solid trinitrotoluene in liquid binitrotoluene in the manner and substantially in the proportions previously explained, and it has been found from experiments that a mixture of 30 parts of this particular liquid nitro-toluene and 70 parts of nitr'p lycerin does not freeze even at 35 C.

STATES PATENT OFFICE.

The following'aregiven as examples of theimproved gelatinexplosivez- Y B A. The afdre-mentioned, 'prev ferred nitro-toluene compound 17 0 15. 5 Nltroglycerinfl; 40. 0 36.8 Collodion cotton 5.0 4.7 Ammonium perchlorate; 38,0' Sodium chlorate.-. 43.0 T0.m1 100.0 100.0 Subjected to the Trauzl test, the compound A gives, on'explosion, a ,volume of 622 cc.,- and the compound Bfa volume of 488 00., while the height of explosion for a 'pound A and 40 cm. for-the compound B. I Iclaim: L- A gelatin explosive comprising an oxidizing salt n1trocellul0se; and a'solution ofisolid trinitrotoluene .in liquid binitrotoluene obtained by the nitration of a mixture containing essentially from .45 to 85 I falling weight of. 2 kg. is cm. for thecomper cent. of meta-mononitrotoluene with the other isomeric mononitrotoluenes, the aforesaid liquid binitrotoluene being a true liquid having a sharply-defined, constant melting point and characterized by its freedom from mononitro derivatives and 'from loss weight when heated fora period of twenty-- I four hours to 60 0., and by the quantity of.

=-ni'tro en which it contains remaining the with the other isomeric mononitrotoluenes,

same efore and after such heating. v

2. A gelatin explosive comprising an oxidizing salt nitroglycerin; nitrocellulose;

and a solution of solid-trinitrotoluene in liquid binitrotoluene obtained'by the nitra-- ti'on oi a mixture containing essentially from.

to 85 per cent.- of meta-mononitrotoluene the-aforesaid liauid; binitrotolune being a true liquidhaving a sl arply-deiined,'conscribing witnesses.

stant melting point and characterized by its freedom from mononitro derivatives-and from the quantity ofnitrogen which it contains remaining the same before and after such heating. H v

3-. A gelatin'explosive comprising'a liquid nitrotoluene produced by dissolving solid trinitrotoluene in the product obtained by nitrating'a mixture of 60 parts of metamononitrotoluene and 40' parts of ortho- -m onon itr otoluene; nitroceilulose; and an oxldizing salt, the aforesaid liquid binitrotoluenebeing a true liouid t aving a sharplydefined; constant melting point and characterized by itsfreedom from mononit-ro'derivatives and from loss of weight when heated for aperiod of twenty-four hours to 60" C and by the quantity of nitrogen which it contains remaining the same before and after such heating.

loss of weight when heated for a pei'iod of twenty-four hours to 60 (3., and by '4. A gelatin explosive composed .of v

partsof nitro lycerin; of solid trinitrotoluene 111 liquid binitro:

toluene obtained by nitrating a mixture of 6.0 parts of meta-mononitrotoluene and 40 arts of 'orthomononitrotoluene; nitrocellu ose;"and an oxidizing."salt, the aforesaid liquid binitrotoluene being atrue liquid having a sharply-defined, constant melting point and characterized by its freedom fr mononitroderivatives and from loss 30 parts of a solution weight when heated for a period of twei'ity iour'hours to 60 (3., and by the quantity oi nitrogen which it contains remaining the samebefor'eand after'such heating.

In testimony. whereof havesigned this specification inthe presence of two ssh JULEs Mains.

' Witnessem; I

EMILE Lnonn'r, v Locum Mnmmmenn. 

